Page 6 THE VILLADOM TIMES II • December 21, 2011 All-French classical concert comes to village by John Koster The All Seasons Chamber Players’ all-French concert took the audience at “The All Seasons Chamber Players have been performing here since 1985, so they’ve obviously built up quite a popularity here,” Library Adult Program Director Barbara Hand told the audience. The group’s members have studied at some of the top music academies, and have performed with notable orchestras in the United States, Germany, Mexico, Japan, and a number of other countries, and their highly proficient renderings of staple and unusual classical pieces are made even more enjoyable by the narration of Robert Lawrence, the violinist, a Yale man who has done everything from Gilbert & Sullivan to “Guys and Dolls,” and turns up anecdotes of genuine fascination. Cellist Zoe Hassman, flutist Brenda Sakofsky, pianist Jean Strickholm, and guest pianist Steven Beck of The Knights, a celebrated young New York group, brought the program to life with a journey through three centuries. The introduction was a trio sonata by Jean-Marie Leclerc. Lawrence described the composer as “the first great violinist in France.” The genteel elegance of the Leclerc piece, sustained by a certain rollicking vitality, brought sustained applause from an audience that obviously knew classical music and recognized a superb performance. The highlight of the first half of the concert was the “Dolly Suite,” written by Gabriel Faure in honor of Helene “Dolly” Bardac, the little daughter of his friend and lover, the singer Emma Bardac. Faure, Lawrence told the audience, was a late Romantic and head of the Paris Conservatory, and like Beethoven, lost his hearing in late middle age. The concert offered six familiar pieces, including “Berceuse” (cradle song) and “Messieur Aoul” -- Dolly’s attempt to pronounce her older brother’s name, Raoul. The Dolly Suite ranks with Brahms’ “Wiegenlied” (cradle song) and Wagner’s “Siegfried Idyll” as one of the great pieces of music for and about children, and the rendition captured the mood perfectly. Audience members who ranged from young children to senior citizens visibly enjoyed the performance. The performers also enjoyed a romp with Francois Poulenc, whom Lawrence said was described as “half monk, half delinquent.” Poulenc was a member of “Les Sixe,” (The Six) a musical adjunct to “Les Fauvres” (The Beasts), artists who Emmanuel asks... Can You Help? Ridgewood 4-29-09 karen/janine EmmanuelHelp3x.75(4-29-09) 3 x .75 The All Seasons Chamber Players Ridgewood Library from the sparkling Baroque period to the jolting verge of modern times. The Ridgewood Volunteer Fire Department promoted Michael Kakolewski to the rank of fire lieutenant at last week’s council meeting and administered the oath of office to four new volunteer firefighters. Mayor Keith Killion and the entire council welcomed volunteer firefighters Trevor Fetkowitz, Dane Knudsen, Kyle Monton, and Henry Van Wageningen to the Ridgewood Fire Department. The organization, which is Northwest Bergen County’s only paid department, accepts adjunct volunteers, many of whom hope Kakolewski promoted; volunteers take oaths took painting into the realm beyond the impressionists. “They were anti-bourgeois, anti-war -- basically anti-everything,” Lawrence said. Poulenc’s “Sonata for Flute and Piano,” included a movement labeled in Italian as “allegro malinconico” (merry and malevolent) that was bouncy, with a keen sense of mirth. The second half of the program included “Trip for Violin, Cello, and Piano” by Maurice Ravel. Lawrence explained that the first movement was inspired by Ravel’s fascination with the music of the Basques -- Ravel’s mother was a Basque -- and the second by a style of Malaysian music he admired. Ravel rushed to finish the work in 1914 so he could serve France in The Great War. Too frail and too old for the trenches, Ravel became an ambulance driver during the conflict, and lived until 1937, honored as a veteran and a composer. The All Seasons Chamber Players made the concert a memorable event for residents of Ridgewood and the surrounding area who attended. They will offer Baroque Bash at the Upper Saddle River Library at 2 p.m. on Jan. 29, and will perform Vive La France again at the Mahwah Public Library on Feb. 5 at 2 p.m. to become professional firefighters at some time in the future. The council also honored David Nicoholson, now retired, for his long service to the Ridgewood Planning Board, honored Lawrence Hoffman for his long service to the Ridgewood Historic Preservation Commission, and honored Catherine Donnelly and Gwen Hauck as co-chairs of the successful Wild West Barbecuethemed fundraiser for the Ridgewood Library. The barbecue reportedly netted $90,000. J. KOSTER